Countdown to grand Sussex food final begins

Sustainable cod is on the menu at the Sussex Food & Drink Awards Banquet for the first time this year thanks to a rise in numbers off the British coast.

Hilary Knight, co-director of Natural Partnerships CIC, which runs the awards, said: “The UK’s favourite white fish has made quite a recovery in recent years, but we can’t be complacent as it is important that the fish has good traceability and is sustainably caught.”

Guests at the awards banquet, taking place on January 29 at the Amex Stadium in Brighton, including a host of local finalists, will tuck into the cod, which is supplied by top Sussex fishmongers Veasey and Sons of Forest Row. The nets used to catch the cod are designed to allow the smaller fish to swim through so they can continue to grow and breed. Dan Howes, manager of Veasey and Sons, said: “As winter draws ever close as do the cod, now is the season for it and we have seen a gradual increase in cod stocks in recent years. Our crew and boat are accredited by the Responsible Fishing Scheme, this scheme gives an assurance to the supply chain that fish from the vessel has been caught responsibly and sustainably.”

The Sussex Food & Drink Awards, now in their ninth year, are all about supporting and boosting local farmers, food and drink producers and the outlets which use and sell this superb local fare, and many will feature at the awards ceremony in January.

Tickets are selling fast for the evening, now dubbed ‘the Sussex foodie event of the year’ and hosted by the awards patron Sally Gunnell OBE and Danny Pike of BBC Sussex. Former winner of Sussex Young Chef of the Year and MasterChef Professional Champion, Steven Edwards will also be at the awards ceremony supporting fellow chef, Tim Sheed from The Pass Restaurant at South Lodge Hotel who has made it into the final three along with Dan Cotton, The Crabtree, Lower Beeding.

Guests at the ceremony will be treated to a ‘Sussex bubbly and ale reception’ followed by the seven-course banquet created by stadium caterers, Sodexo Prestige . To book a spot at this very event and celebrate the very best in Sussex food and drink visit www.sussexfoodawards.biz. Diners will join over 350 leaders in the food, drink industry to discover who will be crowned the best in Sussex.

Local companies in the running for an award on the night are:

Sussex Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Spofforths Chartered Accountants